


I Figured This Would Last Longer

by tensofthousandsoftinyships (evilolive)



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Prom, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 04:25:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4290756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilolive/pseuds/tensofthousandsoftinyships
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor and Jude get changed before and after the LGBTQ prom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Figured This Would Last Longer

 

Jude sat on the edge of his bed playing Bejewelled, the t-shirt pushed to one side on his pillow. Connor faced the door, crouching to tie his shoes. Between levels, Jude casually knocked the t-shirt so it fell between the side of the bed and his nightstand. He would think about what to do with it later. Jude had little experience of dealing gracefully with unwanted gifts, nor was he used to making space for stuff he did not really want around the place. He would  _not_  think about it right now. Maybe it could go on the bottom shelf of the closet under stuff he had grown out of. There was  _no need_  to think about it tonight. He nudged the t-shirt with his foot so it was completely hidden under the bed.

“Hey, Jude and Connor come on, let’s go!”

“That’s Mom. You ready?” Jude’s phone fitted nicely in the inside pocket of Jesus’ jacket. Connor was in front of the mirror.

“Al—most.” Connor yanked at his tie. “I can’t seem to get this the right length.” Above his turned-up collar, Connor’s face in the mirror was a higher colour than usual. His cheeks were crayon pink with frustration. Jude frowned, wishing, not the first time, that he had never agreed to go to this thing. Right now, he could be enjoying the trailers and eating his way through a bucket of popcorn. Conor turned and looked at him. His forehead was scrunched and his eyes soft with appeal. He held his hands out, palms upward.

Jude smacked himself upside the head. He was doing this for Connor. The least he could do was be nice about it. “Here. Let me help you.” He took two steps and stood in front of Connor. He took hold of the two ends of the tie. Gently, he adjusted them to the right length and did his best to tie a neat, half-Windsor knot. It was not quite as easy as tying his own but Jude thought he did a pretty good job. He slid the knot up to Connor’s collar. The ends were perfect.

Connor’s hands came up, brushing Jude’s as he turned down his collar. “Thanks.” His cheeks were back to their usual Infant of Prague complexion.

“No problem.” Connor turned back to face the mirror, smoothing down the front of his hair. It had ruffled up in the struggle over the tie. Jude pinched his fingers together and removed a speck of fluff clinging to the shoulder of Connor’s black shirt. He brushed his hand down Connor’s arm and Connor smiled at him in the mirror.

“OK, I think I’m ready. How do I look?”

Jude caught hold of Connor’s hand and turned him. He looked his boyfriend up and down. He reminded Jude of a Scandinavian skateboard model whose picture he had seen in a catalogue. The catalogue had been picked up in a store and brought home by Jesus. Jesus was at boarding school now and the catalogue in Jude’s nightstand. “Good,” he said. “You look really good.” Connor smiled, his cheeks tinged with pink again.

Still holding hands, they turned together and took one final look in the mirror. They stood, shoulder to shoulder. They were almost exactly the same height, Jude taller by the length of one spiked hair. He gazed, captivated by Connor’s immaculate appearance and a little infuriated at the flawless fit of his clothes. Mr Stevens might be a giant asshole, but he was certainly generous with Connor’s allowance.

Connor squeezed his hand. “You ready to do this?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Connor turned towards the door, leading Jude, and reached out to turn the handle. “Wait up.”

Jude tugged on Connor’s hand. He could not let him go down there thinking he was mad. “Thank you for the t-shirt.” Connor rolled his eyes.

“You don’t have to lie. It’s OK.” He leaned over and kissed Jude’s cheek. “Come on, they’ll be wondering where we’ve got to.”

Several hours later, his stomach full of roast and his mind full of happy memories of dancing and holding Connor close, Jude climbed the stairs to bed. AJ was still downstairs, laughing and joking with everybody. Jude liked AJ: he seemed cool. Jude was feeling benevolent towards the entire world right now.

In his room, he yanked at his tie and toed off his shoes. He took his pyjamas out from under his pillow and started to get changed. He thought of Connor in his lonely room at home, picked up his phone and sent a good night text. No reply was forthcoming and he guessed Connor must be already asleep. Bereft, he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his pyjama bottoms.

His foot nudged something under the bed. He leaned down, picked up the t-shirt and held it up by the shoulders to read the message.  _I’m not gay but my boyfriend is._  He laughed and hugged the t-shirt to his chest. The joke did not sting any more. He could imagine wearing it at breakfast. He would make Connor wear it someday, it was definitely big enough.

Jude pulled the t-shirt over his head and sent himself to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is love.


End file.
